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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23681821">Chelsea's Diner</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clara_Watson/pseuds/Clara_Watson'>Clara_Watson</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Pies, Diners, and Family [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCIS</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Also Shannon family history!, Also some sneaky Slibbs is getting less and less sneaky, And a carnival, And a cold case, Emily Fornell needs more love, Everyone in NCIS needs a friend, F/M, Gibbs is healing, I'll only apologise for that once, It's literally just because i wanted it as an episode, Mentions of Shannon - Freeform, Slow Burn Slibbs, there's a diner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:15:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,831</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23681821</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clara_Watson/pseuds/Clara_Watson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Emily Fornell is really excited when her long time best friend, and cousin, is back in D.C., running a diner no less. But when a cold case is reopened, she's sure Uncle Gibbs' life is about to get turned upside down.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jethro Gibbs/Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Pies, Diners, and Family [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1712155</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>76</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>**this is not beta'd. All mistakes are my own. I am sooo sorry if it's a mess.**<br/>I've had this idea for a while... I'm hoping to keep it short, but I'm sorry if it gets out of hand! (I'm also messy with canon! I'm sorry but it's FUN)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Emily Fornell had her arms full as she juggled a box of flour and her car keys. Chelsea’s diner hadn’t opened yet, although she was sure it would open soon. Maybe. Her friend, Catherine, had opened it in memory of her mom, and a part of Emily was jealous that Catherine had that kind of memory to build upon. She wasn’t sure what she could do to remember Diane, save for join some law firm and be as feisty as possible.</p><p>“Callie?” Emily yelled as she pushed the door open. The dining room wasn’t lit, it never was, but the kitchen was like a light at the end of the tunnel. Emily pushed the door open and dropped the box onto the counter.</p><p>“Oh, god,” Catherine yelped. Somehow she was covered in flour despite not having anything to bake with. “You’re a saviour, Em,” she smiled and embraced her. “Wanna help me bake a pie or something? I think I’ve got enough for cakes or cupcakes or--”</p><p>“I’m not baking with you, Callie,” Emily responded. She sat up on the bench and swung her feet, watching the other woman. </p><p>“I’ll make a pie without you, then,” Catherine seemed unphased by Emily’s brashness. It made Emily smile, she missed that about her friend. Catherine hadn’t been able to make it back from Australia during Emily’s ‘Trip they don’t talk about’ but there was a part of Emily that thought, maybe, if Catherine had been there it wouldn’t have gone so far. Catherine had a bite back that Gibbs and Fornell lacked.</p><p>“You gonna tell Uncle Gibbs you’re back in D.C.?” Emily asked as she leant forward so her elbows were on her knees.</p><p>“Absolutely fucking not,” Catherine said as she poured flour into her bowl. “Dad’s only just talking to me again, am I really going to jeopardize that by talking to the one man he has on the ‘no-no list’.” </p><p>Catherine pointed at the wall behind her, a black board hanging above the stove that said ‘people not to talk to’ with a picture of Gibbs and Fornell underneath it. There had always been a sense of animosity between the three of them, and while Gibbs and Fornell had overcome it to become something that resembled friends. Travis, on the other hand, was like a third person that floated in and out of their lives. If Travis needed it, Emily was sure the two would be there in the drop of a hat. Although Catherine was of another thought, she strongly believed there was a line drawn in the sand between those relationships. </p><p>“How about tell Uncle Gibbs about how your marriage fell to shit?” Emily gave a lopsided smile and batted her eyelashes at Catherine. A part of it was teasing, another part of her hurt for her friend. Catherine glared at Emily and threw the cubed butter into the flour, working it in with one hand.</p><p>“No, Emily.” Catherine’s voice flatlined to the point that Emily was sure Gibbs had possessed her.</p><p>“If anyone knows what that’s like, it’s him,” Emily added as she jumped off the bench and made her way over to the chalkboard. She picked up the chalk and scrawled Gibbs’ phone number under the picture. </p><p>Catherine ignored her. Emily listened as the rhythmic motions of Catherine kneading the ingredients together, noting how similar Catherine and Gibbs were. Catherine just switched boats out for pies. Emily came up beside Catherine and rested her head on her friend’s shoulder. Sometimes Emily wondered how they’d been friends for so long, but other times she knew it was a friendship bonded by family. In some, convoluted way, they were cousins. Just like how Gibbs was her Uncle. </p><p>“Do you hear that?” Catherine whispered. Her hand was paused above her pastry, her ear tilted towards the ceiling. Emily cycled through all the quick wit, dry, and sarcastic comments Catherine could make.</p><p>“No,” Emily said as she braced for the response she hadn’t thought of. Catherine frowned, pushed the bowl into the centre of the counter and climbed on top of it, her hands running over the ceiling. </p><p>“There’s something up here,” Catherine was like a hound with a scent.</p><p>“Are you taking your meds?” Emily asked. It was someone between a joke and a genuine enquiry. Catherine paused and glared at Emily, she knew that the snide comment about ‘the one on meds’ being her older brother. </p><p>But then there was a groan. It was like the roof swelled, bulged, and protested against whatever it was holding. Catherine raised an eyebrow at Emily, a silent invitation for an adventure. Emily hadn’t seen that look in years, not since they were little kids. Before she could nod the roof gave way. The ceiling landed in a plume of dust behind Catherine, completely ruining all the work Emily and Catherine had done cleaning it up. The next was the smell, far more putrid that Emily had ever experienced in her life. It was like someone had shoved a boy’s locker room in the ceiling and let it accumulate for a decade.</p><p>“Em’y,” Catherine whispered.</p><p>“Callie?” Emily whispered back.</p><p>“I think calling Uncle J is the right idea.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m not calling,” Jack Sloane laughed. She held her cards close to her chest, as if protecting them from the rest of the table. Gibbs was trying his hardest to keep his poker face as stone as possible, but everytime Jack moved she ran her foot along his shin and it was just that little bit too… strange. A nice kind of strange. He really did miss it. </p>
<p>Tobias shuffled in his chair, leaning over the table until his whole torso was practically hovering. “He doesn’t have a winning hand. I can sense it.” The table erupted into a low murmur of chuckles. They were all waiting for Gibbs to crack, no one willing to go out on a limb and have to buy next week’s dinner for poker night.</p>
<p>Which was when Gibbs’ phone rang almost in sync with Tobias’. The two of them put their cards down and pulled out their phones. Gibbs hesitated at the unknown number, whereas Tobias was up and out of his chair before he’d answered, taking position on the stairs. Gibbs glanced up at Jack then flipped his phone open.</p>
<p>“Gibbs,” he said dryly.</p>
<p>“Uncle J! Yeah, uh, it’s Cal. Callie. Catherine, that niece you have that doesn’t talk to you.” </p>
<p>Gibbs felt his shoulders involuntarily stiffen like cement was poured into them. “What’s wrong?” he said.</p>
<p>“Dead marine,” she said. “At Mom’s. The diner. The one I promised never to go back to, I know it’s just that--” She was on the brink of hyperventilating, Gibbs knew the sound well. She sounded just like her mother.</p>
<p>“Stay there,” he grabbed Jack’s jacket off the back of her chair and handed it to her. “We’re coming.” He squeezed Jack’s shoulder and motioned towards the door. </p>
<p>“Thanks,” Catherine said. “Oh, um, Emily’s here too. She’s calling Uncle T outside.”</p>
<p>Gibbs nodded and grabbed Tobias on the way through to his truck. “I’ve got him.”</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>The drive had become uncomfortably silent. They’d lost reception a while ago, and Tobias had run out of nervous chatter from the back seat. Even Jack had given up asking questions. Gibbs massaged the driving wheel. </p>
<p>"Does Jack know?" Tobias said at last. He leant forward so he was invading the space of the front seat. "About Callie?"</p>
<p>"Kelly?" Jack asked.</p>
<p>"CAL-LEE," came the loud and certain correction by both men. She nodded, accepting their correction, then shook her head.</p>
<p>Tobias blew his breath out of his nose in some sort of disapproval aimed at Gibbs. Gibbs ignored him, focussing on the road ahead of him. </p>
<p>"Chelsea, Cal's mom, she was Gibbs' sister-in-law," Tobias explained. "Travis--Chelsea's dad--and Chelsea had Catherine… uh.. '98? Cause Em was '99…" </p>
<p>Jack watched as Gibbs tensed once more, why she wasn't sure, and placed her hand on his thigh to remind him she was there. </p>
<p>"Chelsea died around the same time as Ellen, right?" Tobias continued, oblivious to Gibbs practically becoming stone. "Travis disappeared for a couple of years then he just turned up, took Callie and Cameron, and that was the last we saw the three of them."</p>
<p>"Cameron's in D.C.," was all Gibbs added. </p>
<p>“He’s WHAT?” Tobias erupted in his usual dramatic ways. “How is it that I don’t know about this? I was practically a second dad to him and I’m only learning about this--”</p>
<p>“Shut up,” Gibbs said. Jack looked between them, trying to keep her facial features in check. It was the longest family history that she’d ever gotten about Gibbs, but there was something in the way that Tobias and Gibbs now shared their silence that told Jack there was more to the story. </p>
<p>The team met them at the crime scene. Bishop and Torres looked like they’d rolled out of bed and put on each other’s clothes. McGee was clutching at a coffee cup like it was the last his life support. Gibbs instinctively pulled into his usual parking spot and shut off the car. Tobias was out of the car without noticing that Gibbs was practically stuck in place. </p>
<p>“What’s up?” Jack asked as she squeezed his knee. Gibbs shook his head and said nothing. The silence between them grew. It wasn’t uncomfortable but it wasn’t… calming. It was like the air between them had become awkwardly static.</p>
<p>“I’m…” Gibbs took a shaky breath. Jack ran her thumb over Gibbs’ knee, as if to remind him that she was there. “I think you’ll like her.” It wasn’t what he wanted to say, but Jack knew it was all he was going to say.</p>
<p>Emily was out the front of the diner, pacing by her car, Tobias trying to calm her down. Bishop and Torres gave Gibbs the run down of the situations. Jack scanned the carpark, noting that this ‘Callie’ both Gibbs and Tobias had mentioned was yet to make an appearance. She noticed someone huddled against the wall and made her way over. </p>
<p>“Hi,” she smiled and rubbed her hands together, fighting off the cold. “I’m Jack Sloane.”</p>
<p>The girl look up at her. She had to be Callie, she looked the same age as Emily, the same kind of young stun and fear hidden behind the brave face she’d put on. Her eyes were a deep, emerald green, that almost looked unreal. Almost. The girl wiped her hands on her apron then sighed.</p>
<p>“I’d shake your hand but I’m covered in flour and dead person,” she flashed a small, timid smile. “I’m Catherine,” Catherine pushed her hair behind her ear and added. “Callie, for short. Don’t ask.”</p>
<p>Jack shook her head and shoved her hands under her armpits to warm them up. “I won’t,” she added a smile so it didn’t come across as brash. “So you found a dead guy in your bakery, huh?”</p>
<p>“Diner,” Catherine corrected. Her voice was quiet. “Not mine, Mom’s. I’m not even supposed to be here, but I thought doing it up for Dad’s birthday would be nice. Now I’ve got to tell him there was a dead body in the roof, and I found it cause I was mucking around.”</p>
<p>“Were you?” Jack asked.</p>
<p>Catherine shrugged. “I was baking a pie. That’s close enough to mucking around with my dad.”</p>
<p>“Hey,” Gibbs said as he jogged over. “Palmers gonna take the body, we’re going to have to tape this place up until we close the case, Cal.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Catherine said as she stood. “Can I get my bag, though? It’s still in the kitchen.”</p>
<p>“I’ll get the team to pick it up. You need a ride to base? Or did you take your mom’s car too?” Gibbs asked. There was a hint of amusement in his voice, one that Jack couldn’t quite place. Catherine shook her head.</p>
<p>“A ride would be nice.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oop sorry I had Gibbs mention Shannon in this chapter and it hurt me a little bit. ....Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The team had mapped out the perfect timeline of Petty Officer Wilson’s last month, almost two decades ago. Closer to three, Palmer had said when Gibbs had asked for an ‘educated guess’. Despite how late it was at night Gibbs had insisted everyone stayed. He’d even promised that they could go home early if they figured it all out before the day officially began.</p><p>Emily and Tobias had gone home. They’d invited Catherine to go with them, but she’d insisted that she’d stay on the off chance that they needed any questions answered. She’d even opted to be set up in an interrogation room, which Gibbs had argued with until Catherine had agreed to sit in the conference room.</p><p>Petty Officer Wilson had gone missing in ‘92. According to Bishop’s research he’d been talking about disappearing for six months before he actually did, he even had a four-hundred-page, handwritten file she was getting sent up from evidence. People had just sort of assumed he’d done it, an investigation had happened but it hadn’t lasted longer than a year. </p><p>Torres put the phone back onto the receiver and sighed. “Jimmy says the bullet was dug out of Wilson with something long and thin. That’s all he’s got at the moment.” </p><p>“Someone didn’t want to be found,” Bishop said. “Weird if you’re going to store a body in a ceiling cavity.”</p><p>“Even weirder,” McGee tapped at his screen, “Chelsea’s Diner didn’t shut down until ‘01, so people would have smelt it.”</p><p>“Want to know something even weirder?” Catherine asked. She’d come down the stairs with a notepad clutched to her chest, her eyes had gotten deep, black rings around them. “Dad had the whole thing re-roofed in 2005. He wanted to sell so we could buy in Australia. It was gutted completely, but when it was redone Dad only put it on the market for a couple of weeks and then he just… got mad. And kept it. So any dead body would have been found, trust me.”</p><p>“You know a lot about this,” Bishop said. She pulled her feet underneath her and watched the other Catherine.</p><p>“Yeah. Happy place and all that stuff,” Catherine ran her fingernails over her notepad and nodded. “I’m going to get coffee or go on a run or something. Does anyone want anything?”</p><p>“Brownies,” came Gibbs as he rounded the corner. “Enough for everyone.” He grabbed the notepad from her and stood in front of her, looking her up and down as if he was sizing her up.</p><p>“Brownies,” she confirmed with a solid nod. The team watched as she disappeared into the elevator. Bishop began to say something, but Gibbs was already at the stairs, jogging up them. He was on a mission that he didn’t stop until he was at Jack’s door. He pushed it open with his finger and cocked his head.</p><p>“Hey,” Jack said. “Wanna talk?”</p><p>Gibbs hummed and nodded, closing the door behind him. They migrated to the couch, both sitting at either end. Gibbs had planned it out a little differently in his head, but the moment he sat down he knew he wasn’t getting up. His knees hurt too much and he didn’t have enough coffee in his body. </p><p>The silence wasn’t because he was waiting for Jack to lead the conversation. He knew what he wanted to say, he just didn’t know where to begin. </p><p>“Family history getting to you?” Jack said somewhat teasingly.</p><p>The words kind of danced on his tongue, he wasn’t sure what to say… how to say. He licked his lip and curled his hands over his legs.</p><p>“Catherine,” he started. “She… uh.” The silence hung in the air between them long enough that Gibbs was sure it was going to create its own spiderwebs. “Her dad. Travis.” He waited as Jack hummed her encouragement. “He’s… he’s Shannon’s older brother.” </p><p>Gibbs watched as Jack’s face cycled through all of the options she had for her, what she could get from such an emotionless statement. Jack settled on leaning forward and placing her hand over his, watching him carefully.</p><p>“Shan didn’t… she didn’t really know him before we moved here. Her, their, dad owns a carnival. That’s not… I don’t know why I told you that.” He looked up at Jack, his blue eyes full of something that Jack could only assume was fear.</p><p>Jack just squeezed his hand, mostly afraid that he’d suddenly come to the realisation that he was opening up, being vulnerable, and might immediately retreat in his protective turtle shell. There was a moment of silence and then Gibbs took a breath that seemed to shake him to the very core.</p><p>“I told Chelsea I’d protect her kids. And…” he let go of Jack’s hand and shrugged. </p><p>“Catherine didn’t get hurt,” Jack said. “You turned up when she asked for you. So I think you’re following through on your promise.” She pushed her hair behind her ears and gave him a smile. “What about your dead marine, then?”</p><p>“He’s very dead,” Gibbs said. “No one’s seen him since ‘92 but then Palmer reckons he’s only been dead two decades, most.”</p><p>“So that’s eight years unaccounted for?” Jack watched as Gibbs scrunched up his nose and nodded. “Do you think it could have something to do with Chelsea?” </p><p>“Chelsea wasn’t that kind of person. She wasn’t me,” Gibbs shook his head. This time Jack welcomed the silence like a thick, woollen blanket. </p><p>“You’ll get answers, you always do,” Jack caressed his cheek, then placed her hand in her lap. “What’s on that notepad you’ve been cradling like a life force?”</p><p>“I’ve got no idea,” he pulled it away from his body and placed it between the two of them. The first two pages were back to front with names, dates written next to them. Gibbs turned the pages over and ripped them off the notepad. He handed them to Jack without much thought, but it was the smile that spread across his face that made Jack take a second look.</p><p>It was a recipe. The ingredients and method were sectioned off with drawings of whisps of smoke, or steam. Jack wasn’t sure which one. The bottom of the page had a cartoon drawing of a pie with a criss cross top. The only thing that made Jack second guess the drawing was what looked like a bunch of upside down, dead flies.</p><p>“That doesn’t look appetising,” Jack laughed as she maneuvered to see the page fully. “Are those dead flies?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Gibbs said. Jack had never heard him sound more wistful. “Uh, Dead Marine Pie. Chelsea used to make it all the time. It was supposed to be apple strudel, but Shannon had made too much pastry, and then Chels had dropped too many raisin’s in and--” he fell silent and folded the paper in halves. He put it in his breast pocket and petted it down. Jack sighed. There it was. He’d retreated into his little turtle shell, protecting himself from memories.</p><p>“Where’s Catherine staying?” Jack asked, but it was too late. Gibbs was half way through standing, and had mostly finished his shrug before he was at the door.</p><p>Jack sighed. It was like she’d just watched him sew his mouth shut. She wondered how long it was going to be before he opened it up again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The light knock at her door was enough to rouse Jack from her semi-unconscious state. She ran a hand across her face, then smoothed down her hair. She’d managed to take off her glasses before her mini nap, but hadn’t gotten around to migrating to the couch. </p><p>“Come in,” she called as she pressed her glasses back on her face. The sun had begun to break through her window, casting odd patterned lights across the floor. She hadn’t realised how nice it looked. Her door creaked open and Catherine tiptoed in like she was about to break the serenity of the room. She had a cardboard box in one hand and a takeaway cup in another. At some point she’d raided lost and found, now wearing a light grey NCIS tracksuit pants set. The left sleeve of the sweater had a large stain over the shoulder, but it didn’t seem to phase Catherine.</p><p>“I know it’s early,” Catherine whispered as she gave an apologetic smile. “Uncle J said you wouldn’t say no to an over sugared coffee and a pastry. I brought you up a brownie too.”</p><p>“That sounds incredible,” Jack smiled. She ushered Catherine in and took the coffee cup, cradling it to her chest. “Thank you.”</p><p>“That’s okay,” Catherine put the box on the table. Her hands hovered at her side like she didn’t know what to do with them.</p><p>“I heard your family’s close to Gibbs,” Jack offered as a conversation starter. She sat on her single-seat-sofa and motioned for Catherine to sit on the one by the window. Catherine just glanced between Jack and the sofa, and shook her head.</p><p>“Used to be. Before I was born, I think.” She caved, sat on the sofa, and pulled her knees up to her chest. “My brother, Cam, he was close with them. Dad, he was close. Mum, she was close. Both I think… I think I broke the camel's back.”</p><p>Jack squinted at Catherine, “You’re not a burden.” </p><p>“Oh, no, I know,” a smile broke out across Catherine’s face. “That’s not the problem. It’s just how they dealt with my existence, early on.”</p><p>“You speak like you weren’t there in your own life.”</p><p>“Maybe I wasn’t. We… uh Dad, me and Cam… we left after Mum and Ellen died.” Catherine rubbed her thumb along her lip. “You know about Ellen, right, she’s…”</p><p>“Gibbs’ ex-fiance.” </p><p>“Yeah. Ellen was cool. She bought Uncle J a VCR so we could watch ‘The Little Mermaid’ whenever I came over. I think it’s the only movie he owned. That’s not important, but I really only remember Ellen. People tell me stories about everyone else but there was really only Ellen. I don’t know who Aunty Shannon is,” Catherine breathed deeply. “Aunty Shannon belongs to Dad and Cam. Dad and Gibbs don’t get along. So we’re not all that close. I’m talking circles, sorry.”</p><p>Jack leant back and smiled. “I won’t bring it up again.”</p><p>“Wanna know a secret?” Catherine said as she put her elbows on her knees.</p><p>“Always.”</p><p>“If Mum and Dad hadn’t decided that ‘Catherine’ could be shortened to ‘Callie’ and really pushed that, Dad and Uncle J would still talk.” Catherine flicked her hair behind her. “I’m not going to bother changing it now, I kind of like it, but I feel like everyone was trying to really push the healing process.”</p><p>Jack nodded, sipped at her coffee, and thought about what she was going to say next. Catherine seemed content to just sit there until she did.</p><p>“Gibbs tells me your Grandad owns a Carnival,” Jack opened.</p><p>“Oh, yeah, Mac’s Magnificent Wonders. Did he also tell you I used to be a psychic for him? Grandad’s a little obsessed with having the best and most exciting things possible, and a teen psychic with a cute little smile was the best he could offer.”</p><p>“Are you a psychic?” Jack asked.</p><p>“If you want me to be.”</p><p>“No,” came Gibbs’s voice from the hallway. He pushed the door open and held out his phone in Catherine’s direction. “It’s your dad.”</p><p>“You talked to Da’?” Catherine asked excitedly as she launched off the couch. </p><p>“I talked to Cameron,” Gibbs stared at her, like he was daring her to play a game, then pressed the phone into her hands. “Emily’s picking you up in an hour. Be ready.”</p><p>Catherine pressed the phone to her ear. “I’ll take it in the hall.” She pulled the door shut behind her as she went into the hall and Jack watched as Gibbs almost deflated. This wasn’t something that she needed to fix, but god she felt like she had to.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just a little short one... I'm thinking Slibbs is going to have to make an appearance in the future. Next chapter is going to be a sneaky Emily chapter because I love her a lot and she deserves more love &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A sneaky lil Emily chapter~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The last thing Emily thought she’d be doing the day after her best friend and her found a dead body in a ceiling cavity, was watch said best friend go up and down the exorcist steps against the tourists. </p><p>“If you keep doing that you’re going to pass out,” Emily groaned as she grabbed the back of Catherine’s shirt. “When was the last time you slept?”</p><p>“Like you can talk,” Catherine’s voice was snappy but she stopped running. </p><p>“Don’t be mean,” Emily whispered. She slipped her arm into Catherine’s and they wondered down the street until they came to a small cafè.</p><p>They took the outdoor seating, a luxury the two of them rarely got to purely enjoy. Tobias would constantly be looking for the next vantage point, more obviously than Gibbs would, the girls, however… they didn't feel like someone was continuously going to attack them.</p><p>"How was your sleepless night at NCIS?" Emily asked as she grabbed the menu.</p><p>"Sleepless. Do you know how hard it is to find good treats near the Naval Yard? I just wanted brownies that didn't look like a brick." Catherine flipped the drinks menu over. Emily knew she wasn't looking at anything in particular. </p><p>"The usual?" Emily asked. Catherine just nodded and pushed the menu away from her. They ordered and sat comfortably in silence, Catherine mouthing the words to a song that was playing two stores over.</p><p>"Em?"</p><p>"Mm?"</p><p>"What's up with Uncle J and Jack?" </p><p>"Nothing," Emily said. The moment she'd finished the word that there was something in her that was curious. She remembered how close they were when she was in the hospital, catching glimpses of Jack in the hallway with Gibbs, how Tobias mentioned her more than anyone else who attended poker night. </p><p>There was the tingle. The excitement of something other than them, something they could… could make happen quicker. Like when Tobias and Diane used to need a little push in the right direction. They'd both spend days planning elaborate schemes for 'accidental date nights'. Maybe that wasn't what Catherine meant, but there was a curious tilt of her head that told Emily maybe it was. </p><p>"Why?" Emily added curiously. </p><p>"Uncle J talks to her. Genuinely," Catherine leant forward like she was sharing a secret. "She knew about Grandad's Carnival. She didn't flinch when I mentioned Shannon or Ellen, and she didn't push for finer details."</p><p>"You think they're dating?" </p><p>"No," Catherine said as she shook her head. "I think they're close to it."</p><p>"So… we should nudge it along?" </p><p>"With a sledgehammer," Catherine confirmed. "We should nudge it with a sledgehammer." </p><p>The waiter placed their food and drinks on the table and their conversation lulled, as if the waiter would dob them in. </p><p>"How are we going to do it?" Emily asked. </p><p>Catherine grabbed a napkin and pulled a pen out of seemingly nowhere. She scrawled 'Uncle J Romance Plan' on the top of the napkin.</p><p>"Got any ideas?" Catherine asked.</p><p>"First, we have to convince Uncle Gibbs that his house is the best for a sleepover." Emily rubbed her hands together deviously. </p><p>"Deal," Catherine smiled.</p><p>They'd shaken on it. There was no going back.</p><p>***</p><p>The plan was simple: ply Gibbs with enough coffee that he’d forget he enjoyed the serenity of an empty home and allow Emily &amp; Catherine to stay in his guest room. Then Catherine would tempt him into a false sense of security with a bunch of home-made meals between steak dinners until they could convince him to invite Jack over. </p><p>However, the plan was becoming increasingly difficult with how many people were in the diner and how distracted Catherine was by the treats in the display window. </p><p>“Callie!” Emily chastised as she took a seat at the bar. “We just ate, you don’t need anymore.” Catherine sighed dramatically and slumped into the stool by Emily, spinning a coaster on the bar. </p><p>“Who ordered the black coffee, no sugar, no cream, in this darling cup?” The barista asked as she brandished Emily’s pink ceramic keep-cup. Catherine was immediately alert, pointing excitedly at Emily.</p><p>“That’s us!” Catherine called. Emily wondered how much of the smile Catherine had on her face was pure delusion from lack of sleep.</p><p>“Sorry it’s taken so long,” the barista said as she slid them two napkins, “we’ve been swamped.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it,” Catherine smiled. She tugged on Emily’s shirt and dragged them both out of the diner.</p><p>It wasn’t until they reached the Naval Yard that Emily began to notice Catherine actually showing signs of being tired. When they were walking towards the building Catherine was practically falling asleep on her feet, almost tripping over whenever her head dipped.</p><p>“When was the last time you slept, Callie?” Emily asked as they went into the elevator. </p><p>Catherine muttered, counting on her fingers. Emily knew Catherine hadn’t slept a full night in a long time when Catherine started compromising and adding naps to her number.</p><p>“I napped in the conference room last night.”</p><p>“Before that?”</p><p>“Naps. Haven’t been back to the hotel in three days?”</p><p>Emily almost dropped the coffee, “hotel? You told me you were staying at Cameron’s.”</p><p>“I lied. Bite me,” Catherine sniped back. </p><p>“I just might,” Emily said as the elevator doors ‘dinged’ and opened. “Where were you even sleeping?”</p><p>“I don’t need sleep,” Catherine joked as she Naruto ran out of the elevator. “I’m a bat.”</p><p>“Slow down, Batgirl,” Gibbs grumbled. He’d evidently been standing at the elevators for a while now, armed with a case file so he wasn’t wasting anyone’s time. He used his free arm to wrap it around Catherine, stopping her from running rampant around the floor. </p><p>“Hi Uncle Gibbs,” Emily said sheepishly.</p><p>“I don’t want to hear any excuses about where you’ve both been unless that coffee is for me,” despite the look on Gibbs’ face that most would misinterpret as disappointment, there was a little smile behind his face. It stirred hope in both of the girls.</p><p>“It is!” Catherine said. Emily watched as she pretended to fight against the tight hold Gibbs had on her shoulders. “That’s why we’re running late. We’re also running late because I didn’t realise we had a curfew.”</p><p>“Don’t be cute,” Gibbs grumbled but he kissed both their foreheads anyway. “Em, your dad’s downstairs waiting for you. Apparently you’re late for therapy. And you, Miss Callie, have a lot of explaining to do.” </p><p>The girls shared a worried look, and for the first time in a long time, Catherine actually yawned. Emily handed the coffee over, the image of Gibbs holding a pink keep-up wasn’t lost on them, and then she was gone once more. Gibbs let go of Catherine’s shoulders and curled his finger at her, walking towards the stairs that led to the conference room. Catherine had no choice to follow blindly, for fear that he had something he was legitimately mad at her and would tell her off in front of the whole floor.</p><p>Maybe the ‘Uncle J Romance Plan’ wasn’t going to work out.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>~this one's a bit more of a set up chapter~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was no seat Gibbs could use in the conference room. It wasn’t that they were full or anything, it was more that anywhere he sat made it look like he was telling her off. He wasn’t, he was trying to get to the bottom of why Catherine had been hotel hopping for almost three months, telling her brother she was staying with Travis, and telling Travis she was staying with Cameron. </p><p>Catherine, on the other hand, seemed to be holding something far more serious, judging by the way she was pacing up and down the orange wall, refusing to look at him. He took the seat by the door, as if to tell her that it was going to stay a private conversation no matter who came in. She seemed to settle at this, taking a seat across the table from him and pulling her legs up to her chest. </p><p>There was no point dancing around the topic. Catherine looked tired enough that, maybe, there was a reason to dance just a little.</p><p>“Cameron seems to think you’re staying at the carnival,” Gibbs watched as Catherine’s shoulder’s tensed. Her lip quivered, but her eyes didn’t give anything way. “Travis seems to think you’re staying at Cameron’s.”</p><p>“You talked to Dad?” this time fear flashed behind Catherine’s eyes. “I thought you just talked to Cam and, and,” now she was stuttering. Gibbs hadn’t heard her stutter in years and almost felt guilty for bringing it back.</p><p>“I told them both they’re assumptions were right, and that you’re staying with me now, but I need to know why, Callie. I can only lie for you for so long.” He placed his hands palm up in the centre of the table, an offering of comfort between the two of them. </p><p>Catherine eyed his hands off for a moment, her own clasped in front of her like they’d run away from her. Then, slowly but surely, she unclasped her hands and put them on top of Gibbs’. She breathed shakily, refusing to meet Gibbs’ eyes, and he was sure he could see the gears working in her mind. </p><p>“This is going to sound so dumb…” she trailed off. She had a lost look in her eyes and Gibbs could only assume she’d decided to stare at the door handle behind him. “Especially with you being you.”</p><p>“Spit it out, Cal,” Gibbs said. He squeezed her hand encouragingly.</p><p>“Stephen and I got divorced.” It was plain, simple, said somewhere between robotic and as fast as possible so she wouldn’t cry. “Cam would do nothing but say ‘I told you so’ and Dad has zero tolerance for that kind of shi-”</p><p>“You don’t need to explain,” Gibbs said. He watched her as she sniffled and shoved the heel of her hands into her eyes to stave off the tears.</p><p>“I don’t care. About him, I mean, and it still hurts like shit?” Catherine whispered.</p><p>“It’s going to hurt for a while,” Gibbs said. He sat back and sipped at his coffee. “You’re going to have to tell Travis at some point, otherwise he’s just going to talk about Stephen everytime you see him. Trust me.”</p><p>Catherine laughed. It was a small laugh, like her body couldn’t contain her emotions anymore, and then the dam broke. Her shoulders shook, and Gibbs couldn’t unsee Callie as a small child. When she was vulnerable enough to just show her emotions, before she’d grown up. He put his coffee down and crossed to the otherside of the table, wrapping Catherine in his arms until she stopped crying. </p><p>He wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t even sure that he knew what he wanted people to say to him during his divorce. </p><p>“Does Em know?” he asked as Catherine pulled away from him. He wiped her tears away with the pads of his thumbs.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“This why you were out at your mom’s diner?”</p><p>Catherine just nodded and sniffled. “Dad wants to do it up. He wants to sell the Carnival when Grandad dies, which is only a matter of time, and run the diner again. I thought it would help him transition and stuff.”</p><p>“He’ll love it, Cal,” Gibbs said. She stuck her tongue out at him, her level of emotional vulnerability capped for the day. </p><p>“Have you got that notepad I wrote up last night? I know you’ve got the recipe in your pocket, you’ve been favouring it all day. But the names, the list of names.”</p><p>“Yeah. Jack’s office.” He motioned in the general direction of Jack’s office. </p><p>“Oo, speaking of Jack,” Catherine clasped her hands in front of her excitedly. Gibbs felt his stomach drop. “Do you like her?”</p><p>“Yes,” he said instinctively. He felt the blood rush to his ears, and for the first time in a while he heard himself contradicting himself. “No. Yes, we like Jack. No, I don’t-” he couldn’t even finish.</p><p>“You’re a bad liar, Uncle J.” Catherine smiled, however, and that smile was worth it. “I won’t tell. The list of names is everyone Mom employed since started the diner, up until it closed. Dad wasn’t good with bookkeeping but I know he didn’t take on anyone new.”</p><p>“You remembered all of that?” Gibbs was clearly impressed.</p><p>“I seem to remember having an Uncle who taught me to remember the finer details in life.”</p><p>“Flattery won’t get you anywhere.”</p><p>“Will flattery get me a sleepover with Emily on your couch?”</p><p>Gibbs’ chuckle was the closest to a ‘yes’ he was going to give her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>~next chapter: Slibbs.~<br/>It can no longer be ignored.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>~some fluffy Slibbs for your entertainment~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He’d finally gotten to work on his boat. Turns out, saying yes to two women in their early 20s having a sleepover on his couch didn’t mean they’d be more mature than teenagers. It had been hours upon hours of squealing, apologising for the noise, and then giggling. A lot, and a lot, of giggling. Then, sometime around 1am, it had stopped. The only noise in his house was the soft breathing of Emily and Catherine, and the TV quietly playing a western. He’d thought about putting more wood on the fire, but he also had no intention to wake the girls. So the basement it was. </p><p>It had been a while since he’d worked on the boat purely methodically, drowning out all the memories that threatened to come to the surface. Of a full house, when Cameron would sit on the couch and play his game boy, Travis would dust the picture of Shannon and Kelly on the mantelpiece, Chelsea would bake a pie and complain about the lack of food in his cupboards. There was a time his fridge was covered in artworks done by Emily and Catherine. </p><p>But he wasn’t thinking about that. He was thinking about his boat, sanding it until there wasn’t a single bump on the surface. As smooth as it could be until it--shit. He’d messed it up. How could he mess up a boat? He’d been making them for longer than he could remember and he’d messed it up and--</p><p>He caught himself. He squeezed the sanding block in his hand. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d stepped on the edge of spiralling, when he’d gotten frustrated enough with himself that he’d gotten mad over an easily fixable mistake. He put the sanding block down and poured himself a glass of bourbon, groaning when he realised he’d almost finished the bottle and didn’t have a back up. </p><p>“Hey Cowboy.” He’d never admit to being startled by Jack. But he was. He took all of his training not to jump.</p><p>“Jack,” he smiled. “Bourbon?”</p><p>Jack shook her head. She’d put on an oversized ARMY jumper that Gibbs knew she kept in her boot, so she hadn’t been home. She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail, which Gibbs couldn’t help but admit looked incredibly cute. </p><p>“I thought the girls might be holding you hostage,” Jack said as she walked across the basement floor. “I see you’ve sedated them, though.” </p><p>“It’s a trap,” Gibbs grinned as he downed the last of his bourbon. He watched as Jack got her own sanding block and ran her hand over the bones of the boat, her hand hesitating over where Gibbs had sanded a little too heavily. She didn’t say anything. He was glad.</p><p>The next handful of minutes felt like they dragged on for hours. He just sat there and watched Jack as she worked on his boat, knowing he should be doing something, at least making it look like he was doing something. He was pretty happy to just watch Jack work for a while. It felt right.</p><p>“Bishop found Callie’s brother,” Jack said at long last. </p><p>Gibbs groaned and he stood. He picked up his sanding block and stomped over to his boat, as if an adult version of a temper tantrum would tell her that he didn’t want to talk about it. He focussed on the wood, actively avoiding Jack’s curious glances. He knew what Jack had dug up, everyone dug up the same stuff when they found Cameron.</p><p>He felt Jack’s hand snake into his. He forgot to breathe as Jack rested her head between his shoulders. She didn't mention Cameron’s BCD. She just stayed there, face pressed against his back, like she was replacing his backbone. He chuckled, seeing the humour in it.</p><p>“You feeling okay, Gunny?” Jack asked. </p><p>“Yeah, Jack,” Gibbs said, his voice low. He put his sanding block down and turned so he could wrap his arms around Jack, that way Jack couldn't see the worry that was all over his face.</p><p>"No one expects you to solve this," Jack whispered.</p><p>"I do," Gibbs whispered back. He let go of Jack and returned to his boat, despite how his body seemed to be crawling. Crawling with something he hadn't felt in a while, almost like NOT solving the case was disloyal to his family. </p><p>That was a feeling he didn't like. It was a feeling he wanted to get rid of as soon as possible. Jack's hand on his back told him he was tense. Far tenser than he'd thought he was. </p><p>"Jethro," Jack said as she put her hand over his. "You need to sleep if you're going to close this case."  Gibbs shook his head, but Jack was tugging on his hand. It was only the promise of sleep, he knew, but he couldn't help his mind wandering to Christmas. To Jack, pressed up against him, his nose pressed into her hair. There was something secure about it.</p><p>"Jack," he breathed and tugged her back to him. He smiled a little when Jack stumbled, coming to a stop close enough to lean into his chest. "Stay," he whispered like a schoolboy and pressed his forehead into Jack's. </p><p>"You betcha, Cowboy." </p><p>**</p><p>Jack was still there in the morning. Gibbs couldn't understand why, well, he could, but usually Jack was up at the crack of dawn. It was closer to eight, and judging by the smell of coffee that was wafting up the stairs, and the quiet murmuring of Emily and Catherine. He pressed his nose into Jack’s neck and smiled.</p><p>“He lives,” Jack laughed. Gibbs’ groan mixed with a chuckle and pressed his face further into Jack’s neck.</p><p>“How long ya been awake for?” he mumbled into her neck.</p><p>“Long enough to know you whistle in your sleep,” Jack ran her fingernails along the back of his hand. “Emily’s going to work in twenty minutes, Callie knows I’m here.”</p><p>“How?” </p><p>“I parked behind your truck, Cowboy, it’s hard to miss.” She peeled Gibbs’ arm off of her. She sat up, stretched, and looked down at him with a smile. “I told her we were working.”</p><p>“All these lies g’nna pile up,” Gibbs said. He wanted to be serious but he couldn’t keep himself from smiling, “your pretty damn… pretty.” </p><p>“You’re cute without your coffee,” Jack laughed. She dragged her bag over to her and grabbed her clothes out for the day. </p><p>“Ya sayin’ I’m not cute with m’ coffee?”</p><p>“Hmm…” Jack cocked her head and pulled her jumper off. Gibbs’ eyes flickered over her bare back, every inch of him wishing he could reach out and brush his fingertips across the skin. “Your accent is less pronounced.”</p><p>He chuckled. He was just about to say something when there was a soft rapping at his door.</p><p>“Uncle J?” Catherine called. Gibbs groaned and rolled out of the bed. “I know you and Jack are working but you’ve got three missed calls from the team.” </p><p>“Got it,” he called. He turned back to Jack, but the moment was gone. She’d somehow pulled herself together enough that it looked like they’d been working for hours. She ran her hands through her hair and smiled at him. She threw a couple of sheets of paper onto the end of his bed, then slipped out of the room. He caught a glimpse of Callie with raised eyebrows, but she didn’t say anything.</p><p>There was no way he was living this one down.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As if Jack’s day couldn’t have gone from bad to worse. It hadn’t started out bad, oh no, she’d woken up in the arms of THE Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He’d even called her pretty, even if it was while he was still half asleep. It had been an excellent morning, genuinely, until she’d gotten to work. She’d managed to drop her coffee onto her keyboard, all over her shirt, and somehow in her handbag. Which was then highlighted by McGee coming into her office while she was scrubbing her shirt clean.</p><p>“Jack, ‘ve you seen Gibbs?” McGee asked. </p><p>“Today? Yeah. Recently? No,” Jack sighed and held her shirt away from her body. “Why?”</p><p>“He’s in a good mood. It’s weird,” McGee circled the floor before he sat on the sofa. Jack smiled to hide her frustration and perched on her desk.</p><p>“You came up here to tell me Gibbs is in a good mood and it’s making you uncomfortable?” </p><p>McGee looked up at Jack, his head cocked slightly, then it was like someone flicked the light on behind his eyes. He shook his head and pulled two folded sheets of paper from his jacket pocket.</p><p>“Those names Gibbs gave us the other night, Bishop just finished running them.” McGee leant forward as if the information he was about to say pained him. “I don’t want to ruin Gibbs’ good day, but every single person on that list is dead. Unexplained deaths from the late 80s up to early 2000’s. There’s never been any body’s found, except this one which had miraculously appeared.” He paused, as if to let the information sink in. “I know that Gibbs is close with… with…” </p><p>“Callie,” Jack offered. “Catherine.”</p><p>“Yeah. He seems to be close with her, and I can only assume by extension Catherine’s mother…” McGee let it hang in the air, the insinuation that Chelsea could have been… well, a Diane.</p><p>“Chelsea was his sister-in-law,” Jack said. She wasn’t sure that Gibbs wanted it shared publicly, but it seemed strange that he hadn’t shared that information yet. At least not with McGee, who was like a son to him. It was news to McGee, because he frowned, scratched his forehead and simply said ‘huh’.</p><p>“Seems odd he hasn’t told us,” McGee said.</p><p>“He doesn’t blur the line between family and work,” Jack offered. “He probably thought he was protecting that line.”</p><p>“You know he’s watching her like a hawk, right? Yesterday, when she and Emily went out I’ve never seen him more antsy. He wouldn’t sit down until he saw them walking towards the building, and even then he spent most of the time by the elevator.”</p><p>“I know as much as you do, Tim,” Jack said.</p><p>“She’s been sitting in the spare desk all day,” McGee finally looked at Jack. “He’s got a tighter leash on an adult woman than I do on my kids, Jack.”</p><p>“Do you want me to go down there and fix it?” It was mainly a joke, but the hopeful look in McGee’s eyes told Jack that was exactly what he wanted. She rolled her eyes and motioned to her coffee stained outfit. “Let me just change, and then I’ll go down and wave my magic fingers.” </p><p>***</p><p>It became very obvious that Gibbs wasn’t in the office when Bishop and Catherine were sitting cross legged on the floor. They were taking up almost all of the free space between the desks, files strewn across the floor.</p><p>“What’s this?” Jack asked as she came up behind them.</p><p>“Callie’s doing cold readings,” Bishop smiled. “She’s really good.”</p><p>“I’m not allowed while Uncle J’s in the room,” Catherine grinned. “It’s my secret super power. I’m not going to read you without your permission, don’t worry.” </p><p>“I wasn’t worried,” Jack said, but she could hear her heartbeat in her ears.</p><p>“It’s just interrogation,” Catherine motioned to Bishop’s empty chair, an invitation for Jack to sit. “But I just say my gut is the spirit realm.”</p><p>“Don’t give it away,” Bishop  complained.</p><p>“I still think it’s creepy,” Torres said. “I don’t mess with that stuff.”</p><p>“I’m not asking you to mess with it,” Catherine said back quickly. Jack watched the team curiously. McGee was desperately trying not to look interested, but the only thing he was doing was looking between his blank screen and watching the two women. Torres was hovering, as if he was protecting Bishop from anything Catherine might throw at her.</p><p>“Are you looking for Uncle J, Jack?” Catherine asked as she held Bishop’s hands in her own, palm up. </p><p>“Yes I am,” Jack said as she half sat on Bishop’s desk. </p><p>Catherine nodded and massaged Bishop’s palm with her thumbs. Then she ran her finger along Bishop’s hand and hummed. For a moment Jack thought she wasn’t going to say anything, but then Catherine closed her eyes, took a deep breath and snapped her eyes open like she’d noticed something.</p><p>“He’s getting coffee in the naval yard, then he’s going to ask Kasie for a favour, and then come up here and demand an update.”</p><p>“You got all that from my palm?” Bishop asked.</p><p>“No,” Catherine smiled. “Got that from Em’s text fifteen minutes ago. Your palm, however, tells me that you’re cautious when it comes to  relationships, you should trust more often. You’re an artist, but realistic. You know your goals from start to finish. You’ve had heartbreak in your past, but there’s a good, realistic, romantic endeavour in your future.” Catherine paused, as if giving time for Torres to object. “Here, a change in career to follow what you’re passionate in. And here? Recognition for all the hard times you’ve been through, but you should take more time for yourself.”</p><p>“Wow,” Bishop breathed. Torres seemed to mostly agree with her, until Catherine looked up at him and he muttered about it all being fake. </p><p>“Callie,” Jack called. “How much do you know about your mom’s diner?” </p><p>“Mostly everything,” Catherine said. “Why?” </p><p>“Her employees…” Jack started.</p><p>Catherine blinked like she didn’t understand, but her quickened breath and the way her hands suddenly started fiddling with her hands, told Jack she did. The air in the room changed significantly, and everyone shared glances between each other.</p><p>“I don’t know anything about them,” Catherine said.  </p><p>Jack was sure that everyone knew she was lying. She just had to figure out why.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>~just a short one for now~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gibbs had been ambushed by Jack in the elevator. One minute he’d been listening to Emily talk about therapy, and how Emily wanted to go out to lunch with Callie, and then the next Jack was pushing Emily out and saying she’d pay for lunch if she’d get ten seconds alone with him. She paused the elevator midway through floors and sighed.</p><p>“Jack?” he drew out for as long as he could without it sounding weird.</p><p>“How close were you to Chelsea?” the way Jack said it was almost accusingly.</p><p>“Wasn’t married to her,” he simply said.</p><p>“McGee ran the names of all her employees, from open to close. They’re all dead. When I asked Callie about it she got all weird.” Jack crossed her arms and leant against the wall of the elevator. “Why can’t she talk about it?”</p><p>“I dunno, Jack,” Gibbs half chuckled. “She’s not my kid.”</p><p>“I just thought, with you being so protective of Callie.” Jack cocked her head. Gibbs shook his head and sipped at his coffee.</p><p>“I can talk to her,” Gibbs offered. </p><p>“Thank you.” She smiled and reached out to rub Gibbs’ arm. A part of him wanted to pull away, do something dramatic that left Jack fuming for the rest of the day. The other part of him just honestly, and purely, wanted a hug. He had no reason to, maybe it was just the week catching up to him. </p><p>Which is when something began to tick over in his mind. More or less it was like when he was seeing Diane, when Emily was in trouble. Only this time, it was Chelsea. Her hair still pulled back with the ribbon Shannon had given her one Christmas, her light blue diner uniform still covered in berry syrup and flour. She’d never been able to keep it clean.</p><p>She sucked something out from under a fingernail and stared right at Jack. For a moment Gibbs was sure she’d make three or four comments about ‘not another one’. But she didn’t, she scuffed her shoe against the wall of the elevator and nodded.</p><p>“I like her,” Chelsea smiled. “She looks after my Cal better than I would’ve.”</p><p>“What’y want?” he turned away from Jack as he spoke, not willing to see Jack’s response.</p><p>“She wants you not to be so mean, Jethro,” Chelsea smiled. “Me? I want you to talk to my kids, my husband, and figure out who put that goddamn body in my diner.” Gibbs rolled his eyes. Chelsea just shrugged and stuck a toothpick in her mouth. “That husband’s bad news, if you were lost on leads.”</p><p>It was instinct that had him halfway to throwing a snarky remark, but Jack’s hand was in his and Chelsea was gone. He wondered if Tobias was right about him losing his mind.</p><p>“You okay, Cowboy?” Jack asked.</p><p>“Fine,” Gibbs grunted. He leant over and turned the elevator back on. The lights flickered to life and he felt a sense of relief wash over him. He kissed Jack on the cheek as he came back then straightened his face. Jack let go of his hand, but he could still feel her gaze on him.</p><p>The first thing he knew was that there was something wrong with his bullpen. It was abuzz with activity, Bishop and Torres almost throwing casefiles across the bullpen to each other, McGee on the phone with someone but he seemed to be intense.</p><p>“Update,” he called as he walked in. He looked around for Catherine, and upon not seeing her just pointed to the empty chair.</p><p>“Uh, Gibbs,” Bishop said. “She’s with Director Vance, getting a security pass for MTAC.”</p><p>“Why?” he asked, but he held his arm out for Jack to stop.</p><p>“Her ex? He’s not a good guy,” Emily said for Bishop. Gibbs nodded slowly and found himself holding Jack’s hand for support. </p><p>As if the last couple of days weren’t weird enough.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>~very very short but i promise we're almost done~<br/>~and by almost done, I mean Emily and Callie need to finish 'Uncle J's Romance Plan'~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>MTAC had only led to Catherine spilling the beans on a notorious hitman for hire. It was evident, at least to Jack, that Catherine didn't know her husband was a hitman by the way she kept mumbling, backtracking, and squeezing at her arm. He was part of a group that were hired to kill people who were put into witness protection. to double, triple, and quadruple check that a dead person really was dead. </p><p>“None of this will hold up in court,” Vance said from his seat. Jack watched as Catherine’s face fell and she took a seat in the centre of the open floor. </p><p>“It would if we caught him in the act,” Catherine said. “There has to be a reason he married me of all people.”</p><p>“M’be cause he liked you,” Gibbs grumbled. Emily laughed like Gibbs had just told the world’s greatest joke and shook her head.</p><p>“They got married like it was the eighties and Stephen had gotten Cal knocked up. It was thoroughly unromantic.” Emily side-stepped as Catherine reached out to back hand her. There was an awkward silence as Gibbs crossed his arms and leant back in his chair, as if the room was waiting for him to respond.</p><p>“Did he have any weird things he’d always ask about?” Bishop offered. “A favourite pet, or family member, location you liked to go to as a kid?” </p><p>Catherine shook her head, but Emily was nodding so eagerly Jack was sure her head would fly off.</p><p>“The Carnival. He was always saying how he wanted to go to one, he talk at length about stupid things. Fortune telling, ferris wheels, dodgem cars, he’d always be watching Callie’s response like a hawk. I told him it was weird and he spent the rest of the day actively ignoring me,” Emily said.</p><p>“Perfect,” Bishop announced. “We convince him what he wants is at the carnival. He meets up with Callie, incriminates himself, we arrest him.”</p><p>“No,” Gibbs shook his head and stood.</p><p>“Too bad I don’t work for you,” Catherine spat back. Jack had no time to hide the surprise that tore across her face. Gibbs cocked his head as if daring Catherine to continue, which she did. “If I want to do it, I’m going to do it. There’s probably a million ways to catch this bastard, and none of them are going to be as efficient as me begging him to come back one last time then someone arresting his ass.”</p><p>“How do’y suppose you’re going to do that?” Gibbs said.</p><p>“I dunno, thought I’d ask you for pointers, but apparently not.”</p><p>Jack wondered where Catherine’s aggression had come from. She wondered whether it was a regular thing, but judging by the fear that had crept over Emily’s face it wasn’t. </p><p>“Catherine,” Gibbs said warningly. </p><p>“I never ask for your help,” Catherine’s voice rose and Jack wondered how long she’d been bottling up. “The only reason I even asked this time was because Emily said I should and there was a whole damn body in the ceiling.” </p><p>“Catherine,” Gibbs walked towards her, his head at a threatening angle. Jack half stood, wanting to reach out and drag him back to his seat. Catherine walked forward, meeting him almost chest to chest. Emily took a step back and looked at Jack with her eyes wide.</p><p>“Let me do this,” Catherine said. Her voice was so level Jack almost forgot that Catherine had been close to yelling moments before. “Please.”</p><p>Gibbs shook his head. Catherine cocked her head in a perfect imitation of Gibbs. Jack swallowed back her concern and stepped towards the two of them. She pressed her hand to both of their arms as a mediator. </p><p>“How about we take a breath,” Jack said. “And a time out.”</p><p>“Mom would’ve wanted you to let me do this,” Catherine added.  Jack sighed and glared at Catherine, but she couldn’t help but notice how Gibbs’ eyes flickered to a spot just passed Catherine. </p><p>“Gibbs?” Jack said, squeezing his arm. “Jethro?” Even Catherine noticed something was wrong, she twisted to look behind her, and seemingly saw the same thing that Gibbs did. He grumbled something Jack didn’t understand then nodded.</p><p>“Don’t let me down,” Gibbs whispered, just loud enough that only Jack and Catherine could hear him. Jack frowned as Catherine’s face broke into the biggest smile Jack thought was humanly possible, and she wrapped herself around Gibbs in one of the oddest timed hugs. </p><p>“Thank you,” Catherine whispered. </p><p>***</p><p>They’d been driving for hours before Jack had half the guts to talk to Gibbs. He’d been in a horrible mood since MTAC, pretending to be in a halfway good mood in the bullpen until Emily had dragged Catherine to lunch. He didn’t want to talk, less than usual, and she’d never seen him drink coffee so aggressively. But now they were trapped in a car together, with Catherine and Emily asleep in the backseat with their earphones in.</p><p>“What was earlier about?” Jack asked. Gibbs side eyed her but refused to even open his mouth. “You know what I’m talking about.”</p><p>“No,” Gibbs said as he sent her a sarcastic smile. “I don’t.”</p><p>“Don’t clam up on me, Cowboy.”</p><p>“Jack, ‘m not,” he sighed eyed her but didn’t say anything else.</p><p>“They’re not listening,” Jack pointed to the back seat and shuffled so she was facing him. “Talk to me, what’s going on?”</p><p>He glanced at the back seat and nodded. “The plan’s going to work, and I don’t like that.”</p><p>“Of course you don’t,” Jack reached out and placed her hand on Gibbs’ thigh. </p><p>“It’s going to work because what Stephen wants IS at the carnival.” Gibbs glanced at the back seat again and Jack rolled her eyes. She thought about reminding him that the girls were asleep, but he was sure he was doing it for his own peace of mind more than anything else.</p><p>“You gonna talk about that?” Jack squeezed his leg and smiled as he hummed.</p><p>“I promised Chelsea and Travis that Callie would never, ever, find out about their witness protection program. Chelsea would make fake I.D.’s out of the diner, long before I met her,” Gibbs sighed. “Travis and Mac set up the carnival to filter families through to safer locations, new identities and everything.”</p><p>“That must’ve been tough,” Jack whispered. She knew that Gibbs knew she was talking about Shannon and Kelly.</p><p>“Tougher on them,” Gibbs looked back once more and shook his head. “Chelsea wouldn’t speak a word for months, even if she did it was blaming herself. Travis… well, he was just Travis. And Cameron was a kid. He was nine, or ten, how was he to understand that his parents who protected EVERYONE couldn’t protect his aunt and cousin.” His voice had dropped to a hushed whisper. “Callie can’t know. No matter what happens.”</p><p>“Promise,” Jack whispered. They sat in a comfortable silence until they pulled into the carnival. They sat in the carpark with the engine running until Gibbs could pull himself together enough to turn off the engine. He squeezed Jack’s hand and sighed, then he sat back and watched Jack, his eyes flicking up and down her face. </p><p>“Thank you,” he whispered back. </p><p>The back door opened and the two of them jumped as Catherine slid out of the car, pocketing her earphones. “God, you two should just kiss already.”</p><p>Jack could feel her ears heating up, but she felt some kind of comfort in the massive, boyish, smile that spread across Gibbs’ face before, he too, got out of the car.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“My god, that looks like an old man,” someone yelled from across the vast expanse of grass that had been run into dirt. Gibbs knew who it was from the moment he heard, that little left over distinctive accent of Stillwater still present. Travis had gotten old, there was no denying it. Old, and bigger than Gibbs remembered. He’d always been remarkably tall, and skinny, only a head or two above Gibbs but that used to feel like a mile. However, this Travis had gotten himself a wooden cane and a rather large pot belly.</p><p>Catherine, much to Gibbs’ surprise, hadn’t been ecstatic to be back at the carnival. Despite her eagerness to get out of the car she’d circled back to the team before she’d gotten through the gate and risked the cold stares of the team who were still trying to figure out Catherine’s outburst earlier in the day.</p><p>“Still younger than you,” Gibbs yelled back. He met Travis half way, not wanting to give the larger man another reason to insult him. He grunted as Travis pulled him into a hug, lifting him off the ground for longer than Gibbs thought was possible. When his feet were finally back on the ground he looked back at his team and held out his hand, about to introduce them.</p><p>“Wait, wait, I can guess,” Travis clapped Gibbs’s back and motioned towards the trailer’s with his walking stick. “Tea and coffee is over here before you all actually try to be law officers.” As they began to walk again Gibbs reached out and grabbed Jack’s hand, making sure to keep himself between Jack and Travis, who seemed to be trigger happy with his cane.</p><p>Gibbs chuckled as Travis hit the back of McGee’s shoes with his cane, McGee’s shoe coming free. “This one, he’s Timothy McGee.” Travis said, then he pointed at Nick’s head with his cane and squinted his eyes as if he was struggling to see him. “This must be the lovely lady Eleanor Bishop, and you must be Nick Torres.”</p><p>Bishop looked back just in time to see the mix up, and Gibbs was happy to see the way she laughed; quiet enough not to alert Torres, but enough that Travis knew he’d lightened up someone’s day.</p><p>“Callie-” Gibbs started.</p><p>“No, no, one more Jethro. Which is,” he stabbed his cane into Gibbs’ foot and cocked his head. “Go on, introduce me.” </p><p>“She’s Agent Sloane,” Gibbs said as he threaded his fingers into Jack’s.</p><p>“Ah, Jack,” Travis nodded like he’d seen the future. “We like Jack Sloane on this land.” He reached out in front of Gibbs to shake Jack’s hand. Jack laughed welcomingly and shook his hand.</p><p>“A pleasure to meet you,” she smiled.</p><p>“That’s a lie, you know nothing about me,” Travis, however, still laughed. Heartily, Gibbs realised, like a renewed person. “You can’t marry her anymore, Jethro. You’ve introduced me.” Then he hobbled off, far faster than Gibbs thought he could, ushering the team to sit around the small campfire pit.</p><p>“Marry?” Jack laughed as they came to a stop just before the trailers.</p><p>Gibbs cocked her head and looked at her softly. “I’d have to kiss y’ first, Jack.” </p><p>***</p><p>Catherine and Emily snapped the blinds shut in the trailer before either Jack or Gibbs saw them, and collapsed in a fit of giggles onto the window seat. Travis sauntered in, grabbing mugs out of the cupboard and dangling them on his fingers.</p><p>“That good enough for you girls?” he asked as he grabbed the coffee and tea.</p><p>“Perfect,” Catherine smiled. </p><p>“This dumb plan of yours better work,” Travis said as he turned and began to limp back out of the trailer. He leaned back so only his head was left in the trailer. “Both of them.”</p><p>“Yes, sir.” Emily and Catherine said in unison. Catherine watched as her dad returned out to the group. </p><p>“I hope it’s going to work,” Emily said as she slid off the bed. </p><p>“It’s going to work,” Catherine confirmed. “There’s a pie at the end of it, so it has to work. Plus they’re both totally all over each other.” </p><p>***</p><p>Jack was increasingly glad that Gibbs had told her to bring a coat. The air had gotten chilly quicker than she’d expected, and the fire was doing very little to keep her warm. The carnival was much more exciting at night time, the lights shone as vibrantly as the stars, abuzz with activity. Gibbs had decided the safest way to stay inconspicuous was to wander around the small food vendor circle that Catherine had said she was going to meet Stephen at.</p><p>She’d eaten enough to feed a small army, and was thoroughly stuffed as she dragged her feet around. Sometimes Gibbs would meet up with her, holding a new variety of foods for Jack to try. This time he came over with two coffees, pushed one into her hands, and then wrapped his arm around her and stuck his free hand into her pocket.</p><p>“Callie’s remarkably calm,” Jack said as she rested her head on his shoulder.</p><p>“She’s not,” he rested his chin on her head. “She knows this is important, though.”</p><p>“You can’t know she’s scared, she’s barely spoken a word to anyone besides Emily.” She smiled as Gibbs nuzzled her hair. </p><p>“She spoke to Bishop,” he said before he kissed her hair. Jack nuzzled into him and sipped at her coffee. He was far warmer than she’d thought, and had a hint of something under his overpowering smell of sawdust. It was nice, she thought to herself. She wondered if he always smelt like that. </p><p>She wondered if he was serious about earlier. About kissing her. She’d thought about it for a while, but to have Gibbs actually confirm it? Wow. That was the only word she had for the situation. She put her hand into Gibbs’ jacket pocket, running her fingers over the woolen insides. She brushed her fingers against something rectangle and pulled it out, turning it over in her hand. It was a white polaroid, taken recently because Jack had only bought that outfit the weekend before now. It was Gibbs looking at Jack while she sat on the edge of his desk. It was an odd angle, but it was pure happiness she saw on both their faces.</p><p>“Callie took it,” he smiled. “She said I needed something new to put in my wallet.”</p><p>“I’m not replacing Shannon,” Jack said as she looked up to him. “Don’t cut her out because of me.”</p><p>“You’re not,” Gibbs took his hand out of her pocket and pulled a wallet out of his inside pocket. “Callie and Emily went halves upgrading my wallet.” He flipped it open to show a second picture flap, sewn in with pink, blue, and purple coloured leather. “They insisted it had to look like a new start.” </p><p>“They’re really looking out for you,” Jack laughed.</p><p>“Yeah,” Gibbs chuckled. Then suddenly his chuckle stopped, and he tensed. “I don’t know where Catherine is.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>~Emily and Callie couldn't be less subtle~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gibbs shoved his wallet back into his pocket and kept one hand on his gun, eyes jumping between all the people, hoping that it had just been a mistake and Catherine was just obscured by someone larger than her. But the people started to filter and Catherine still wasn’t there, her handbag discarded in the dirt.</p><p>“She can’t have gone far,” Jack comforted, but Gibbs could feel the anxiety radiating off of her. </p><p>The carnival had never felt so big. It was like every turn led to somewhere where Catherine wouldn’t be, even though he had no idea where she was. All he knew was that Emily was safe: he’d seen Travis grab her the moment Gibbs had started searching for Catherine. The minutes felt like hours as he kept searching, not seeing her until…</p><p>“Jethro,” Jack called. She was pointing to the Hall of Mirrors, which was suspiciously taped off as ‘out of order’. But the major clue was ‘J.J.’ written over the sign in--</p><p>“That’s blood, Jack,” Gibbs said as he pulled out his gun. Jack had done the same, despite seemingly being far calmer than he felt.</p><p>“It was probably the only thing she had on her,” Jack said, but Gibbs could hear the nervous shake in her voice. “Ready?” </p><p>“Ready,” he confirmed.</p><p>The mirrors were a nightmare that Gibbs had never predicted. Every turn he made he could hear Catherine, but he couldn’t see her. The worst part was knowing that when he could see Catherine, she could see him. Which meant Stephen could too. </p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Catherine was saying. Gibbs paused where he was and motioned for Jack to stop. </p><p>“Don’t play with me, Catherine,” Stephen growled. Gibbs closed his eyes, trying to envision what the room looked like. He knew the mirrors would reflect him continuously, that the moment he was out in the open he was exposed. Figuring out which of the reflections was no longer a reflection was his main goal. Then he could make sure Catherine was safe, and to shoot if necessary.</p><p>“I’m not going to discuss getting back with you if you’re being like this,” Catherine responded, her voice was calm and levelled. Gibbs felt a swell of pride in his chest that Catherine seemed to have learnt something from him. Jack reached across to him, squeezed his wrist, and pointed to the mirror midway down his leg. </p><p>Catherine had obviously run her bloodied fingers along it as Stephen had guided her through the hall, probably dragged her. Which meant she’d, hopefully, done it the whole way around, making it far easier to recognise which Stephen and Catherine was the right one. He shared a look with Jack and nodded, advancing forward. Catherine saw them first, her eyes going wide with recognition.</p><p>The relief was short lived because Stephen saw them too. In one swift movement Stephen had Catherine in a choke hold. Gibbs had to note that, while she looked terrified to him, her stance was remarkably calm. </p><p>“You okay?” Gibbs asked as he walked forward. Catherine nodded, her voice coming out as a slight whimper when she tried to form a word.</p><p>“I’ll kill her,” Stephen threatened. </p><p>“Look at me, Callie,” Jack said. For the first time Gibbs saw how scared Catherine really was, how pale she was, the way her hands shook even though the rest of her was stock still. “You’re okay.”</p><p>“I’m okay,” Catherine repeated. It all happened far too quickly, Stephen set off the gun, Catherine’s screamed followed shortly after, with two shots that echoed each other from both Gibbs and Jack. Jack had Callie in her arms before Gibbs could register that Stephen was crumpled on the floor.</p><p>“Gibbs?” Bishop called.</p><p>“We’re good,” he called back. “Suspect… He won’t be hurting anyone.” Gibbs canvassed the room as if someone else would just pop up, then turned to the two girls. Jack had Catherine’s head pressed up against her, cradling her. </p><p>“How bad?” Jack whispered as she turned her head. Stephen’s bullet had grazed her ear, leaving a nick that was bleeding just a little. He pulled his sleeve down and pressed it against her ear, when he was satisfied the bleeding had stopped he took his hand away and pressed a light kiss to it.</p><p>“Nothing we can’t fix.”</p><p>“Gross,” Catherine groaned. “Don’t let me do that again, yeah?” No matter how much she tried to move, Jack had a steel grip on her. </p><p>Gibbs ruffled her hair and wrapped his arms around the two girls, leading them towards the exit the best he could. </p><p>“I’m serious,” Catherine said as she stepped on Gibbs’ foot. “Don’t let me, ever, convince you that I can do things on my own.”</p><p>“Noted,”  Gibbs chuckled.</p><p>“Also, I need something for my fingers.” Catherine held her hand up to expose her raw fingertips.</p><p>“How’d you do that?” he asked as they came back to the outside world. Gibbs had never been more glad to be outside with screaming children and flashing lights. He reached out and inspected her fingers as if he could fix it with his gaze.</p><p>“Don’t you dare kiss it, Uncle J. That’s reserved for whatever the two of you have going on.” Catherine pointed between Jack and Gibbs before breaking free of Jack’s hug. “I’m going to go find a first-aid-kit. And then, I’m going to find both of you, because Em and I have a thing that can’t turn out badly.”</p><p>Gibbs wrapped his arm around Jack’s shoulders as they watched Catherine run off towards the trailers.</p><p>“You think she’s going to be okay?” Jack asked.</p><p>“Probably,” Gibbs said as he shook his head. “Nice work in there.”</p><p>Jack nudged his ribs and smiled up at him. “You too, Cowboy.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>~Next: the final installment. *Drum roll please*: Em and Callie's final, most daring plan, for the completion of: 'Uncle J's romance plan'.~<br/>~and then: this fic will be, potentially, complete.~</p><p>p.s. thanks for sticking around with the plot holes... the body will be explained later! (I realised I'd forgotten in here).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Bishop!” Catherine yelled as she ran to catch up with the blonde NCIS agent. “Everything ready?”</p><p>“Yeah!” Bishop smiled. Catherine knew Bishop was looking her over to see where her injuries were, which there were none besides her fingers, but Catherine was too abuzz with nervous energy to stop and reassure her. </p><p>“Dad said I should give these to you,” Catherine said, pulling out a wad of tickets for the rides at the carnival. “There’s enough for, like, a week. As a thank you. Nick likes the ferris wheel, by the way.” She didn’t wait to see Bishop’s confused face, instead she was racing through the carnival ‘corridors’ to get to the location Emily and her had chosen for the ‘Ultimate Uncle J Romance Plan’.</p><p>It wasn’t perfect, at least it wasn’t how the girls had planned it a couple of days ago. There was a small, isolated, square of land where you couldn’t see anything from it but the carnival on the skyline. The only picnic rug Emily and Catherine could find was an old, tatty one, shoved in a cupboard that was full of moth balls. They’d tried to make it smell better by spraying perfume onto it, which may have been a substantial mistake. It didn’t smell… better. It just didn’t smell bad.</p><p>“You’re a magnet for trouble,” Emily said as she shook her head. Catherine posed playfully and blew a kiss.</p><p>Emily had peppered little battery powered tealight candles around the grass. It looked… stunning.</p><p>“It’s not the dinner at Uncle J’s, but I’d say we pulled it off,” Catherine rubbed her hands together gleefully. “Got the pie?”</p><p>“Have I got the pie?” Emily mocked. “Catherine, it’s the only thing you wanted me to do today.”</p><p>“Then we’re all set.” </p><p>And with that, the ‘Uncle J Romance Plan’ was almost, ALMOST, complete.</p><p>**</p><p>Jack had been pleasantly surprised when Catherine and Emily had, somewhat, ambushed her and Gibbs. Emily had been speaking so fast that all Jack got was ‘no blindfold’ and ‘keep your eyes shut’. Every time there was a new dip in the ground or tuft of grass the girls would tell them, until all Jack could feel was ankle deep grass.  </p><p>“Sit, sit, sit,” Catherine insisted. Jack did as she was told, reaching out for the ground beneath her. Her fingers brushed against a blanket and she smiled, falling the rest of the way. “We’re going, have fun.”</p><p>Jack listened until the giggling quietened before she inched her eyes open. She couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped as she smiled, taking in the view before her. However the girls had pulled it off... it was beyond perfect.</p><p>“They really outdid themselves,” Gibbs laughed. </p><p>“You knew about this?” Jack asked as she looked to Gibbs. He looked… soft. Jack rarely saw him looking this relaxed, his worry lines were so soft they only showed up when he smiled. Which he was, and Jack couldn’t help but smile with him. </p><p>“Knew they were planning something,” Gibbs chuckled. He shuffled over and wrapped Jack up in his arms, rubbing her arm to give warmth back into her. “They’re not as sneaky as they like to think they are.”</p><p>“Oh, they even bought pie,” Jack laughed. She reached over for a fork when Gibbs put his hand over Jack’s and shook his head.</p><p>“I have to warn you, this is going to be the worst pie you’ve ever tasted.” There was something in the way he said it that sounded like he was holding back a laugh. When she looked at him his blue eyes told her the same thing. She raised an eyebrow at him and cocked her head as she smiled at him.</p><p>“Yeah?” she said, hoping he’d elaborate.</p><p>“What you’re about to eat is Dead Marine Pie,” he picked up a fork and placed it in her hand. “I’m afraid it’ll be a chore to get through all of it, but if it’s a task I can take one for the team.” He’d shuffled close enough that he’d had to pick up the pie dish and balance it on both their legs. Jack couldn’t help how her breathing quickened, the way all the blood rushed to her face, and she was increasingly glad the girls had given them the cover of darkness.</p><p>“I think I can share the load with you, no matter how awful this pie is,” Jack whispered. </p><p>“There is one way to make this pie taste better,” Gibbs said as he scooped up a forkful of pie. </p><p>“Mm?” Jack hummed.</p><p>“Close your eyes,” he whispered. Jack did as she was told, vaguely aware that this could just be Gibbs’ roundabout way to get the pie for himself. She imagined him just grabbing the pie and running away. </p><p>Which is when he kissed her. Jack moaned involuntarily and threaded her hand through his hair. When they finally pulled apart Jack wasn’t sure she was ready for it to stop. </p><p>“That was…” Jack breathed. She didn’t take her hand out of his hair, she couldn’t bring herself to, encase he’d just ‘poof’ into thin air.</p><p>“Mediocre, compared to the pie,” Gibbs chuckled. He kissed her once more then shook his head, “That would have been very disappointing after pie.”</p><p>“I think you underestimate yourself, Cowboy,” Jack whispered. “Although, now I’m excited to try this.”</p><p>Jack was almost embarrassed to admit that they spent the night switching between eating pie and kissing like they were teenagers, but there was something about it that felt real. Genuine. And in that moment she knew she wasn’t just going to be one more in a long line of wives, this was something too good to be ruined by boat building or Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ obsession with pies full of raisins.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>~and that is, the... ending~<br/>~Save for a small epilogue because, honestly, I don't want to say good bye to Callie haha oops~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Catherine had finally opened ‘Chelsea’s Diner’ after eight long, gruelling months of police checks, health &amp; safety, and food inspections. After her… experience… with Stephen she revealed that she’d recorded their whole conversation. Stephen’s family were generational hitmen for hires, that they knew, but his family had been trying to break through Catherine’s family to find the Witness Protection Program. The body was supposed to spook Chelsea, way back in the early 2000’s, but her death had thrown that plan away. </p><p>Then the second plan had been squashed when Catherine asked for a divorce a year into their wedding. Gibbs had to admit that, of all the things that could come out of his failed marriages, having Catherine recognise when she wasn’t happy had to be the best bit. </p><p>Gibbs and Jack hadn’t been the first through the doors, there was a case that had foiled those plans, but they’d turned up on the first day. Gibbs had to admit that Catherine was in her element: telling staff where to go, greeting customers, bringing out pies, and-just sometimes-yelling at people to get the job done.</p><p>They’d sat in one of the booths, Jack nestled up against Gibbs.</p><p>“She’s done a good job with this place,” Jack smiled. </p><p>“She has,” Gibbs agreed. </p><p>When Catherine saw them there was no denying it, she practically squealed and ran from the kitchens. Gibbs had to appreciate the ribbon holding her hair up. She looked… happier, if that was even possible. The afternoon dragged on, until they were eating dinner in the kitchen to make sure people KNEW they were closed. </p><p>“You guys look happy,” Catherine said to Gibbs as she washed up the last of the plates. </p><p>“We are,” Gibbs confirmed and glanced back at Jack who was studying the wall in the dining hall that Catherine had filled with pictures of old patrons and family members. </p><p>“Dad told me about this,” Catherine motioned around the room, her eyes watching his reaction earnestly. “About what him and mom did, and kind of still do.” </p><p>Gibbs leant against the bench and crossed his arms, “yeah?”<br/>Catherine shrugged, but there was a smile that tugged on her lips. “Let’s just say, if you need someone to disappear, you know where to send them.”</p><p>Gibbs chuckled and kissed her forehead. “Your mom would be proud.”</p><p>“She’d be proud of you too, Uncle J.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>~God, this was supposed to be a short Emily Fornell fic and I abandonned her half way through, I'm sorryyyy~<br/>~Also, this is nowhere near short~<br/>~thank you for all sticking around until the end xx~<br/>... and who knows, maybe Callie and Emily will make a comeback ... (no promises, though.)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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